The rose
by Basill
Summary: An alternate chapter to 13 in Hadrian Salazar Peverell. Watch how young Harry deals with a courting gift. Hints at slash.


_**I own nothing!**_

_**A one shot dedicated to Ecila Raveniz Thgilyad about the rose scene. Read and Enjoy!**_

Harry couldn't stop the snarl from leaving his lips as he looked up at the reason of all of his recent frustrations. Tom Riddles eyes looked right through him as if he weren't there, as if he had not been stalking Harry since first year. "What are you playing at Riddle?" He demanded, drawing those cold eyes to himself as the slightly older boy raised a single eyebrow at him, an amused smirk played on the corners of his lips.

"What do you mean Peverell?" Tom drawled the words out and Harry had a distinctive urge to punch him in the jaw.

"You know precisely of what I am speaking about Riddle!" He snarled in agitation. _"Calm yourself child, you are falling into his game."_ The ever present voice flowed through his head as Harry narrowed his eyes. _"This is what he wants, your attention on him and him alone. Calm your anger and see the truth." _Harry gritted his teeth as Riddle simply looked at him with a hidden smile.

"I hate you." He snarled before storming out of the dorm and down to the lake, allowing the sounds of the elements to wash through him. Anger and confusion was not getting him anywhere and he still didn't understand why he even cared that Riddle had stopped annoying him. What in the hell was wrong with him? He finally gets what he has wanted for years and now he is mad about it?

"I'm getting a headache." He mumbled to himself as he rubbed his temple. _"Stop fretting child. You have more things to do than to play games with the snake lord. Now is not the time to fall into one of his traps. You must train yourself for the coming war, your magic and your will are both strong but that will do you little good if you do not train yourself. Take pleasure and pride in the knowledge that I have granted you and you alone the ability of your ancestors. You must forge your daggers before the moon falls on your sixteenth year of life." _ The voice whispered soothingly and Harry could feel the anger being drained from him.

"My daggers." He breathed the words out as if they were the very essence of his life. He nodded sagely as he made his way towards the forest. He needed freshly picked supplies to make the poison he wished to infuse his weapon of choice with.

That night he returned to his dorm with a calm he had not felt sine Riddle had first began to ignore him. He took note of the empty bed but did not allow that to faze him. He would not be drawn into Tom Riddles games. Not here, and not now. The voice had been correct, he had other things to worry about, and Tom Riddle was not one of them.

With an air of indifference he climbed into his own bed and drew his curtains to shield his bed from view and opened the newest book he had started to read, it had only been after the book on courting that he had come to realize just how ignorant he truly was to the traditions of his people. Something he would not allow to happen again.

He listened and rolled his eyes when the dorm rooms door opened allowing in Riddle and closed his book, if Riddle was in then the hour must have been later than even he suspected. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he laid back and pulled his own covers up and allowed the hum of magic to loll him to sleep.

When morning came he was slow to awaken, and thus he did not see his curtains being pulled aside, nor did he see Tom Riddle staring down at him with a dark look in his eyes. He did, however, see the blood rose sitting on his bedside table, and his body tensed. The knowledge that anyone would pull aside his sanctuary and evade his space while he slept left him unnerved. He did not even have to guess favored flower, and that was Tom Riddle.

What was worse was the knowledge that the rose was a courting gift, and he could not return it to Riddle without facing embarrassment. If he tried to return it Riddle could claim that it was not he who gave it to him, and no doubt he would bring up his lack of interest in him.

A snarl left his lips as he stared accusingly at the damn thing. He had _known _Riddle was up to something, and all of a sudden the book he had found laying out in plain view made since. Nobody would be thick enough to buy "A_ Purebloods guide to wooing and courting for a proper bride." _Unless they were planning something. He should have known.

"_He has not made mention of his desire to court you child. Take heart that even though you are forced to accept the gift you have not agreed to allow him to court you." _The voice tried to sooth him, but Harry could hear the false platitudes in it. He was not stupid, he could not claim that he was unaware of what the gift was, nor could he claim he had no idea of who was stupid enough to give it to him. Tom Riddle was the epiphany of a Slytherin, and he was using a very underhanded tactic.

His mind whirled with fury before a thought struck him and a Slytherin smirk crossed his pink lips. Cheerfully he stood from his bed and dressed before picking up the delicate rose and caressing it carefully. Gracefully he made his way out only to stop at the stair case leading up to the Lions den. He waited patiently for one of the lone lions to cross his path, and sure enough Charles Potter came down with his usual swagger.

"Well, well if it isn't Riddles boyfriend." Potter stated with a mocking laugh as his eyes caught sight of Harry. "What brings you this way snake?"

"I need a favor Potter. Perhaps one of your little muggle-born groupies might have a lighter or perhaps a book of matches?" Harry questioned politely making the taller boy raise an eyebrow in question as Emily Write came down the stairs only to blush upon seeing Harry standing there.

"Why would you need that?" She squeaked the question out as her face flamed red.

"I have a project I need help with but it requires a muggle flame rather than a wizard one. Can you help me?" He asked, his voice gentle even as Potter seemed to study him.

"Hold on, my brother might have something like that." Emily stated before running back up to her dorm only to return a few short minutes later and proudly presented a zippo lighter. "You will return it won't you? My father gave it to Mike when he was seven, before he died. It's important to him."

"I swear he will get it back in the same condition he lent it to me." Harry stated as he pocketed the lighter and gave them a friendly mile before gracefully moving towards the great hall. He took his customary seat and watched the pleasure shinning in Riddles eyes as he twirled the rose around with one hand while the other tapped against the table top.

He wore a contemplating look on his face, even as some of the girls gushed stupidly over the unwanted gift. When he was sure he had everyone's attention he withdrew h lighter and flipped it open and closed, seeming to not be paying attention as he looked at the rose with what he hoped looked to be a dreamy expression on his face.

"What a lovely courting gift." Druella stated after a moment bringing Harrys eyes to her.

"It is, isn't it?" He questioned with a small smile on his lips as the lighter flicked open and closed, open and closed before he sighed dreamily and flicked it open, sticking the flint and causing the lighter to burst to life. The flame danced prettily even as he touched the rose to it. He watched gleefully as the flame engulfed the thing.

He flicked the lighter closed as the purebloods looked on in astonishment and horror as the rose was devoured until only ashes were left. "Oops." He stated with a smug smile as he met Toms dark burning gaze that flickered with fury.

"You…you destroyed a courting gift?" Druella asked, her voice trembling as her own gaze flickered to Tom who sat rigidly in his seat.

"I thought I made myself clear yesterday when I stated I had no intention of being courted." Harry stated with a shrug as he began to eat, feeling much happier than he had upon waking.


End file.
